Gift Card Program: Transforming Qatar's Largest Retailer

In just 15 days, Qatar's largest grocery retailer launched their gift card program, processing over QAR 5 Million in gift card loads and generating QAR 2.6 Million in sales within 30 days of launch. This success story showcases how a tailored gift card solution helped meet growing customer demands while accommodating sponsor organizations' needs, all without disrupting existing operations.

About the Retailer

Our client is Qatar's dominant grocery retail chain, operating over 70 stores nationwide. As the country's preferred destination for groceries and household essentials, they serve hundreds of thousands of customers daily, playing a vital role in Qatar's retail sector and food security infrastructure.

The Retail Giant's Challenges

With 70+ stores nationwide and hundreds of thousands of daily customers, Qatar's dominant grocery chain faced mounting pressure:

"We needed a solution yesterday. Our customers were demanding gift options, major sponsors were waiting, and our competitors were moving fast. But we couldn't afford any disruption to our existing operations." — IT Director

Three critical challenges stood in the way:

• Seamless POS Integration: Any solution needed to work flawlessly with existing checkout systems
• Urgent Timeline: The market wouldn't wait, with sponsors already knocking on the door
• Cross-Store Reconciliation: 70+ locations meant complex tracking requirements

Enterprise Gift Card Solution

Our comprehensive gift card solution streamlined the retailer's operations through a multi-faceted approach. At its core, we implemented a specialized POS application seamlessly integrated with the retailer's existing infrastructure, enabling cashiers to process gift card transactions within their familiar workflow. This was enhanced by a robust administrative portal offering complete control over card management, from creation and activation to detailed transaction tracking.

Specialized POS Application

Our custom POS integration seamlessly incorporated gift card functionality into the existing checkout workflow, allowing cashiers to:

• Process gift redemptions from existing POS systems
• Secure transaction with IP validation and 2FA login
• Session closing reports for cashiers

Administrative Control Center

A powerful web-based portal gave management complete oversight with capabilities to:

• Manage sponsors and create cards in bulk
• Track all transactions in real-time
• Generate detailed financial reconciliation reports
• Monitor & manage card status and balances

Customer Self-Service Portal

End-users received access to a dedicated portal where they could:

• Check current card balances
• View transaction history

The entire ecosystem is built on a powerful reporting engine that provides real-time visibility into sales, redemptions, and balances across all 70+ stores, ensuring accurate financial reconciliation. Security remains paramount, with encrypted communications and multi-level authentication protecting all financial transactions.

Results

A comprehensive gift card solution deployed across 70+ stores in just 15 days. And just 30 days of launch, the results exceeded expectations:

• 5 major sponsors onboarded including government organizations and charities
• QAR 5 Million+ loaded onto gift cards
• QAR 2.6 Million+ in gift card sales
• 3,800+ cards activated and in circulation
• 5,000+ transactions processed
• 30-40% of loaded value maintained as float balance

All while maintaining normal operations across a nationwide network of stores serving hundreds of thousands of daily shoppers.

What's Next: Future Expansion

Building on this success, the retailer is now expanding the program to include:

• E-commerce integration enabling gift card usage across digital platforms
• Advanced sponsor portal with enhanced bulk management capabilities
• Expanded POS functionality for physical card sales and activation
• Integration with third-party payment systems and digital wallets

Ready to transform your Customer Loyalty? Contact us today to learn how our solutions can help you stay ahead of the curve.